Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder’s re-election campaign has parted ways with an intern who asked about volunteering for Democratic challenger Mark Schauer in an apparent attempt to infiltrate the rival campaign.

Snyder campaign spokesperson Emily Benavides described Taylor Grenawalt as a “former” part-time intern who was let go as soon as it was learned he had sent emails to Schauer staffers and his running mate Lisa Brown.

“Those are actions that we do not condone or do not tolerate,” Benevides said, noting she spoke with Grenawalt after his emails were published online. “…He told me it was something he had done on his own accord.”

The Schauer camp is as incredulous as I am given that the Snyder campaign has shown they are quite capable of stooping this low in the past. As Schauer Communications Director Zack Pohl told me, “It seems pretty clear that they threw him under the bus. These are the same guys who sent a fake CNN reporter to record Mark Schauer’s town hall”, referring to a scandal that happened last spring.

Maybe Grenawalt was acting on his own. Why he would do that is a bit of a mystery but it’s certainly a possibility. The more likely scenario is that he was sent out to infiltrate the Schauer campaign in an attempt to find dirt the Snyder camp could use to shore up their flailing campaign and, once he got busted, was tossed to the curb as an expendable intern.

I was contacted by someone yesterday claiming to be a Democrat and asking me to pull down my original post since it might damage Taylor Grenawalt’s future career plans. So far as I’m concerned, Grenawalt’s lack of scruples and ethics disqualify him from being involved in politics. If his political career is over because of this (which is highly doubtful) that would be good for everyone.

UPDATE: The Detroit Newshas the story now, too. Funny how neither the News nor MLive can bring themselves to name our blog. Maybe I should start calling them “a Michigan-based news outlet”… At least they linked us this time.

Share this:

Follow us!

Subscribe to our newsletter using the link in the right sidebar. Use the buttons below to follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google+.

Maybe he just wanted to be the next James O’Keefe. Or the next Dennis Lennox.

Whatever the facts, I’m sure everyone is glad this guys’ been kicked to the sidelines before his simplistic “Me vs. the Evil Liberal Machine” narrative went any further.

Nancy Wickman

This story wasn’t hard for me to believe at all. I worked on the Snyder recall campaign and there were many strange things that happened to us. People took our pictures. Twice someone tried to follow our county captain home. They were very interested in finding out where the completed petitions were being kept. They may have succeeded because I personally did the data entry for the Genesee County petitions and there were many missing.

judyms9

In some corners in politics, particularly at the national level, this young man would move to the front of the class. He has already learned the art of ingratiating himself with the power brokers, something business folks call “networking”. He’ll be more subtle next time.

Dexter

LOL! Forget about the partisan angle of this for one moment, no, he would not be moved to the front of the class. This man failed the test. I don’t know why you keep trying to talk him up. This is bush league spying. He better find himself another line of work, because this obviously isn’t working for him.

Mitchell Robinson

Wouldn’t the intern’s lack of ethics be a qualifier for becoming a Republican operative, not a disqualifier? ;)

jungledog

They just threw the kid right under the bus. I wish I was there to hear the “take one for the team” talk somebody must have given him.

Tony Trupiano is the host of the radio program, The Voice of the People, heard on blogtalkradio.com every Monday through Friday from 9 AM until Noon ET . He is the author of two books and he has been part of the progressive media landscape for 20-plus years. Known as "The Voice of Labor" and as an activist & advocate, Tony has no problem showing up for a good fight. Follow him on Twitter @tonytrupiano.